The Blessings of Brokenness

I finished this book last week, but it has taken me that long to gather my thoughts and summarize them. Overall, I thoroughly benefited from reading The Blessings of Brokenness: Why God Allows Us To Go Through Hard Times, and I know the Lord had a purpose in me reading it. When I made my book list for 2010, I was searching our book shelves and this book just caught my eye. I am so glad I decided to add it to the list. This book has truly spoken to my heart, and definitely changed my perspective on the trial that the Lord is taking us through. If you are walking through any trial in your life right now, I highly encourage you to read this book. Charles Stanley is definitely "old school", but full of wisdom. While this book is very simplistic, it is also very practical and applicable.

What was the perspective change? Stanley says, "He (God) allows brokenness in our lives in order to bring about a blessing. God never breaks us in anger or wrath. Rather, God moves in our lives because he loves us too much to see us continue in our sin, remain in a lukewarm spiritual state, or go unfulfilled in his purposes for our lives. God loves us too much to see us remain as we are." God is not taking me through this trial as a punishment. He is using it as a means to make me more spiritually mature and whole. His love for me is so great that He desires to see me change, grow, and develop. Can I get an AMEN? That is a huge blessing from the Lord! That He would love me so much that He could not see me remain as I am. Thank you Father!

Listed below are a several of my favorite quotes from the book. My hope is that they will be enough of a sampling that you will be encouraged to read the book in its entirety.

"God is in the process of changing what we desire, far more than he is in the process of giving us what we desire."

"Our period of brokenness is not the end, but rather, a passage and a process to a new beginning that is even more glorious."

"His desire and purpose for us is total dependence upon him. Nothing short of complete dependence will suffice."

"When God breaks us, he does so with the purpose of putting us back together again--better than before, and ultimately, so that we might be whole."

"Our role in times of brokenness is to submit not only to what God desires to do in our lives, but also to his timetable."

"When God is at work in our spirits, we must recognize openly that the most valuable facet of our being--truly the eternal facet of our lives--is being strengthened, nourished, and refined."

"It's better to be somebody in God's eyes and nobody in the eyes of the world, than to be somebody in the eyes of the masses and nobody in the eyes of God."

"Brokenness ends when our will is broken and we yield to God in submission."

"Brokenness is the pruning process that God uses in order to produce inner fruit--his very likeness."

"Brokenness brings us to the place where we say, 'All that matters is God and his presence in my life."

In the final chapter Stanley wrote about five great blessings that come from brokenness. Each of these were very encouraging to me, so I thought I would share them with you.

1. The Blessing of Understanding God Better: we truly begin to understand the nature of God

2. The Blessing of Understanding Ourselves Better: we come to a much deeper understanding of ourselves

3. The Blessing of Increased Compassion for Others: we begin to look at other people differently

4. The Blessing of a Greater Zest for Life: we find we have a greater appreciation for all of God's gifts to us

5. The Blessing of an Increased Awareness of God's Presence: brokenness makes us more sensitive to his presence

What immense blessings that flow from brokenness! Praise be to God that He sees fit to break us and refine us in order to bring about such great blessings!